Department for Transport

High Speed Two: Property

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intendto establish a review of the HS2 Ltd. property portfolio in London; and if so, (1) who will be appointed to conduct the review, and (2) when they estimate such a review will be (i) completed, and (ii) published.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: HS2 Ltd continues to acquire land and property needed for, or impacted by, HS2 across all phases of the route, including around Euston, under a range of statutory and non-statutory property compensation schemes. Once the programme’s land requirements have been finalised, it is anticipated that surplus land and property will be offered for sale in accordance with established rules and on the open market when the effects of property blight have sufficiently diminished. The Government keeps the property acquisition programme and potential disposal options under continual internal review.

Old Oak Common Station: Construction

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what provisionhas been made to facilitate the interchanges at Old Oak Common station between (1) HS2, (2) Crossrail, and (3) Great Western Railway, services; what are the estimated costs and sources of funding for those provisions; and how long they estimate any (a) closures, and (b) disruptions, of (i) Crossrail, and (ii) Great Western Railway, services to lastduring construction.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The proposal for Old Oak Common is for an integrated station consisting of six HS2 platforms and eight platforms for the existing rail network, providing passengers with a direct interchange between high speed and conventional rail services. The estimated costs of delivering the station are contained within the reset Phase One estimate, which forms the basis of the Full Business Case for HS2 Phase One which was approved in April of this year. The final design and precise construction programme for the station, which will determine the impact of Old Oak Common construction on existing services, is still being developed by HS2 Ltd and the Old Oak Common Station Construction Partner, Balfour Beatty Vinci Systra (BBVS). The construction programme is being developed in consultation with the wider rail industry and every effort is being made to minimise disruption to services on the Great Western main and relief lines.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Construction

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 9 November (HL9762), whether they plan to put in place minimum contract arrangements for participation in HS2 construction projects to guarantee British suppliers a share of the economic benefits of HS2; and if not, why not.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: There are currently no plans to set a content target for UK companies on HS2. As I set out in my response on 9 November [HL9762], HS2 Ltd has an excellent track record of supporting British businesses; over 2,000 businesses have delivered work so far on the project, 98% of these are UK-based, and 70% are SMEs. The project already has 13,000 workers in the UK employed on it and the construction of Phase One will see HS2 create and sustain a further 22,000 jobs over the coming years, with many more in businesses and factories around the country through an estimated 400,000 supply chain contract opportunities. HS2 Ltd estimate that 95% of those contract opportunities will be won by UK based businesses, with around two thirds being SMEs.

Bus Services: Electric Vehicles

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in providing support for electric bus services, what assessment they have made of (1) the infrastructure required for (a) battery electric buses, and (b) hydrogen electric buses, and (2) the impact such infrastructure may have on the number of buses that can be parked in existing depots.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government is committed to delivering at least 4,000 zero emission buses. As part of work to deliver on this commitment the Government is considering how best to provide support for the infrastructure associated with zero emission buses. Further details will be announced after the Spending Review has concluded.

Buses: Procurement

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what process they are following for procurement of the zero carbon buses to be manufactured in the UK, as announced in February; how many such buses have been ordered so far; and which companies will be supplying them.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government is committed to delivering at least 4,000 zero emission buses. Further details, including how funding will be distributed, will be announced after the Spending Review has concluded.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to maintain the quality of life of people who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 if they are required to isolate for a considerable time into next year.

Lord Bethell: Everyone in England, including those who are clinically extremely vulnerable, is required to follow the new national restrictions from 5 November, which have been set out by the government and apply to the whole population. Additional guidance and support has been provided to clinically extremely vulnerable people to further protect them from COVID-19 during this time.Support is available to individuals who are feeling anxious or distressed. ‘Every Mind Matters’ offers advice and practical steps that people can take to support their wellbeing and mental health during this time. Help can also be provided by local charities, organisations and National Health Service Volunteer Responders.

Coronavirus: Contact Tracing

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bethell on 20 July (HL6147), whether they will publish the data on how many people (1) received test results within 24 hours, (2) who tested positive were reached within 24 hours for non-complex cases, and (3) who were identified as contacts were reached within 24 hours for non-complex cases only.

Lord Bethell: The Government publishes testing data in an online-only format at GOV.UK. These statistics cover tests?, cases and deaths to lower tier local authority level, as well as weekly NHS Test and Trace statistics on those reached by the system, how many have been contact traced and testing/tracing turnaround time.This includes data on how many people received test results within 24 hours and those who were identified as contacts who were reached within 24 hours for non-complex cases. However, data on the number of people who tested positive who were reached within 24 hours for non-complex cases is not specifically collected in the format requested.

Coronavirus: Gatwick Airport

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, furtherthe Written Answer byLord Bethell on 15 October(HL7812), which organisation is responsible for the operation of the COVID-19 testing facility based at Gatwick airport; whether that facility is carrying outtests; and if so, on what date tests were first carried out at that site.

Lord Bethell: The service provider for the Regional Test Site at Gatwick airport is Sodexo. The site is currently open and operating. The site came online on 8 April 2020.

Test and Trace Support Payment

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether parents who need to care for children who are self-isolating as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible for the one-off payment of £500 through the NHS Test and Trace Support Payment scheme.

Lord Bethell: The Test and Trace Support Payment of £500 was introduced on 28 September, to support people on low incomes who are unable to work from home if they are told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace and will lose income as a result. Eligibility for a Test and Trace Support Payment is restricted to people who have been told to stay at home and self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace, either because they have tested positive for COVID-19 themselves, or have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive. If a child is self-isolating because they have tested positive, other household members will also need to self-isolate and will be able to claim under the scheme, provided they meet the other eligibility criteria. Parents or guardians of children who have to self-isolate because of contact with someone outside their household who has tested positive are not eligible.

Test and Trace Support Payment

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a payment of £500 from the NHS Test and Trace Support Payment scheme can be received by the same person more than once; and, if so, whether there is a limit on the number of times it can be received.

Lord Bethell: A person can claim a Test and Trace Support Payment for each period of self-isolation required by NHS Test and Trace, provided they meet the eligibility criteria for each individual claim, and their periods of self-isolation do not overlap. There is no limit to the number of times that it can be received.

Lithium: Coronavirus

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the research by the Translational Neuroscience Research Group et al Does Lithium Deserve a Place in the Treatment Against COVID-19?, published on 27 October, on the effects of using lithium to treat patients with COVID-19.

Lord Bethell: The Department has noted the findings from this small observational study and is considering carefully all available evidence around the potential of different drugs for use in treating COVID-19, including from clinical trials in the United Kingdom and overseas. The COVID-19 Therapeutics Taskforce is responsible for the end-to-end-provision of treatments, from clinical trials to delivery of treatments at scale to the patient population. The taskforce is closely monitoring positive signals from clinical trials to ensure that any products deemed safe and effective in treating COVID-19 can rapidly be brought into wider use across the National Health Service in the UK. The taskforce will continue to monitor lithium carbonate as further trial results become available.

Civil Servants: Coronavirus

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many civil servants (1) were staffing, (2) joined, and (3) left, their COVID-19 testing programme in each calendar month from March to October.

Lord Bethell: NHS Test and Trace was launched on 28 May across England. The service helps identify, contain and control COVID-19, reducing its spread and saving lives.Given the speed at which NHS Test and Trace was set up we do not have data by month as during the formulative months the organisation was reliant on secondees from across Government and movement was high. The current full time equivalent head count of NHS Test and Trace is 3,760. Due to the continuing need for flexible resourcing in the programme, this number includes contingent workers, which includes some contractors and employment agency staff.

Doctors: Migrant Workers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether overseas doctors with applications pending to register to practise medicine in the UK at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic have had their applications processed; and whether those whose applications were approved have been allowed to come to the UK.

Lord Bethell: The General Medical Council took steps to ensure that doctors’ registration was not delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Anyone who submitted an application to register at the start of the pandemic, or who subsequently became eligible and applied, has had their application processed as normal.The Department does not hold information on whether those whose applications were approved have been allowed to come to the United Kingdom.

DNACPR Decisions: Care Homes

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to instruct all care homes to ensure any Do Not Attempt CPR orders imposed since 1 March on any of their residents’ files arereviewed immediately, in consultation with residents or their representatives.

Lord Bethell: The Department has asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to review how Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions were used during the COVID-19 pandemic, building on concerns that the CQC reported earlier in the year. Interim findings are expected to be reported later this year with a final report in early 2021.Until the review reports its findings in early 2021, we will continue to work across the health and care system to address the issue. The Adult Social Care Winter Plan reiterates that DNACPR decisions should only ever be made on an individual basis and should be led by the clinical team. All health professionals nationally are expected to follow the clear statements on the use of individual DNACPR orders.

Coronavirus: Hospitals

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the required full capacity staffing levels for each of the NHS Nightingale hospitals for (1) doctors, (2) nursing staff, (3) other health staff, (4) administrative staff, and (5) other ancillary staff; and, in each case, how many staff are currently available to start work at those hospitals.

Lord Bethell: As part of their comprehensive activation plans, each Nightingale team has been developing a clinical model that can be scaled up as and when additional capacity is required in the region. This ensures that the right skill mix of staff will be available from National Health Service trusts in the region and via NHS Professionals and through direct recruitment if required.

Coronavirus: Hospitals

Lord Newby: To ask Her Majesty's Government if Nightingale Hospital beds in (1) Manchester, (2) Sunderland, and (3) Harrogate are used to maximum capacity, how many (a) doctors would be required, (b) at what grade would these doctors have to be qualified, and (c) how many doctors are currently employed by the NHS.

Lord Bethell: As part of their comprehensive activation plans, each Nightingale team has been developing a clinical model that can be scaled up as and when additional capacity is required in the region. This ensures that the right skill mix of staff will be available from National Health Service trusts in the region and via NHS Professionals and through direct recruitment if required.There are 120,607 full time equivalent doctors currently employed by the National Health Service in England.

Coronavirus: Hospitals

Lord Newby: To ask Her Majesty's Government, if Nightingale Hospital beds in (1) Manchester, (2) Sunderland, and (3) Harrogate are used to maximum capacity, how many (a) nurses would be required, (b) at what grade would these nurses have to be qualified, and (c) how many nurses are currently employed by the NHS.

Lord Bethell: As part of their comprehensive activation plans, each Nightingale team has been developing a clinical model that can be scaled up as and when additional capacity is required in the region. This ensures that the right skill mix of staff will be available from National Health Service trusts in the region and via NHS Professionals and through direct recruitment if required.There are 295,193 full time equivalent nurses currently employed by the NHS in England.

Care Homes: Fees and Charges

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the fees paid by local authority commissioners to private care home providers in each area of the country; and whether the fees paid are sufficient to cover the costs of care provision.

Lord Bethell: Local authorities have the autonomy and flexibility to determine the fee rates they pay care providers. Their decision on appropriate rates of care is based on local market conditions. The Department continues to support local authorities with their Care Act 2014 duties to ensure that their local market remains effective and able to meet people’s care needs.We are committed to bringing forward a plan for social care to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect and to find long term solutions for one of the biggest challenges we face as a society.

Care Homes: Fees and Charges

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the fees paid by privately funded residents in care homes, relative to the fees paid by local authority funded residents in the same homes in the past three years.

Lord Bethell: Where individuals are not eligible for financial support, they make their own arrangements for care services and pay the fees. The fees are set out in a contract between the individual and the care provider.We are committed to bringing forward a plan for social care to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect and to find long term solutions for one of the biggest challenges we face as a society.

Terminal Illnesses: Suicide

Baroness Watkins of Tavistock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of people with terminal illness (1) who have committed,and (2) who have attempted,suicide in each of the past three years.

Lord Bethell: No such estimate has been made.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial stability of care home providers in England and Wales in the light of any additional pressures arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Bethell: We draw on a range of information to assess the financial position of the care sector in England. The Adult Social Care – our COVID-19 Winter Plan 2020/21, published on 18 September, underlines the Government’s commitment to support local authorities in England and the wider care sector, including care homes, to ensure that high quality, safe and timely care is provided to everyone who needs it. A copy of the Plan is attached. We recognise that COVID-19 is imposing significant pressures on the social care sector. We have now made £4.6 billion available to local authorities so they can address pressures on local services caused by the pandemic, including in adult social care. The responsibility for adult social care in Wales is a devolved matter.Adult social care winter plan (pdf, 305.7KB)

Coronavirus: Liverpool

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many COVID-19 patients have been admitted to hospitals in Liverpool in the last two weeks for which figures are available; whether such admissions have increased or plateaued; and how many patients due to receive treatment in these hospitals for other conditions have now had this treatment cancelled.

Lord Bethell: Data is not available in the format requested.

Medical Treatments: Coronavirus

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how (1) surgeries, (2) stroke treatments, (3) cancer detections, and (4) admissions for chemotherapy, have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Bethell: Throughout the pandemic urgent services, such as cancer treatment, urgent operations and stroke care have remained open. Even at the peak of demand, hospitals were still able to look after two non-COVID-19 inpatients for everyone COVID-19 inpatient.The following table shows the total number of completed admitted pathways during the COVID-19 pandemic period.March 2020April 2020May 2020June 2020July 2020978,672526,100505,690662,634727,273 Stroke Sentinel National Audit Programme data shows that during the COVID-19 pandemic, improvements were seen in access to stroke units and in the time taken for brain scanning and acute assessments by a stroke specialist. There was a decrease in stroke admissions of 13% during March-May 2020. Seven-day crude mortality data for March-June 2020 shows that there is an overall adjusted risk of mortality of 12% which is consistent with the case mix adjusted 30-day mortality data average of 12% between 2016-2019.The number of people starting treatment for cancer in August was 78% of the same month last year, having recovered from a low of 63% in May. The majority of people who have not been diagnosed are assessed as being those who did not come forward for checks. Chemotherapy treatments are largely delivered on a day case or outpatient basis and only a small proportion would normally be delivered in an inpatient setting. Between March and August 2020, there were around 5,300 chemotherapy admissions for inpatient treatment. This is lower than in the same period in 2019, when around 9,000 admissions were recorded. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance NG161, published in April 2020 to support clinicians in the management of patients requiring systemic treatment through the pandemic, provided advice on alternative chemotherapy treatment approaches to reduce the risk of infection to patients and avoid unnecessary admissions and visits to hospital where possible.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Turkey: Hamas

Baroness Eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security threat (1) to the UK, and (2) other European countries, following reports that senior members of Hamas have been awarded Turkish citizenship with the right to travel.

Baroness Sugg: We continue to monitor the activities of Hamas and maintain regular assessments of the overall threat posed by the group.

Nagorno Karabakh: Armed Conflict

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they vetoed a proposal for a ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh region at ameeting of the UN Security Council; and if so, why.

Baroness Sugg: The UK did not veto a proposal for a ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh region at a meeting of the UN Security Council. A Presidential Statement was proposed at the Security Council and whilst the Council was united in seeking an end to the conflict, members were unable to reach an agreed version of the text.

Turkey: Hamas

Baroness Eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Turkey following reports that that government is granting Turkish citizenship to senior members of Hamas.

Baroness Sugg: We are aware of reports about the granting of Turkish citizenship to Hamas figures. Hamas continues to pose a threat to Israel and Israeli civilians. The UK is clear that Hamas' failure to renounce violence and recognise Israel remains a significant barrier to peace. We continue to call upon Hamas to end permanently their incitement and indiscriminate attacks against Israel. The UK retains a policy of no contact with Hamas, in its entirety. Hamas' military wing has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK since 2001.

Nagorno Karabakh: Armed Conflict

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that captured Armenians have been beheaded and tortured by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces; and what steps they are taking (1) to bring to justice those responsible for, and (2) to prevent, anysuch crimes.

Baroness Sugg: We are deeply concerned by accusations from both sides that war crimes were committed. Where it is possible to verify reports of alleged violations, we will do so and we will raise these with the parties involved. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood spoke to both the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers on 28 October and highlighted UK concern over reports of war crimes. The UK's position remains that States have the primary responsibility to prosecute crimes within their national jurisdiction.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Mental Health Services

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the mental health and wellbeing support available 24 hours a day to serving members of the British Armed Forces.

Baroness Goldie: We are committed to the mental health and wellbeing of our Service personnel and recognise that Service life can cause stress. All Regular Service personnel are supported by dedicated medical services including mental health support. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) also provides a 24-hour mental health helpline for Serving personnel and their families to provide support for any mental health problems anytime, anywhere. The available evidence indicates that the mental health of the Armed Forces is broadly comparable to that of the general population and we are working with the single Services, Defence Medical Services, and others to promote good mental fitness and breakdown stigma. As a supplement to existing provision, in April 2020 the MOD, in partnership with The Royal Foundation, launched HeadFIT, a mental fitness tool to support the Armed Forces community.

Charities: Armed Forces

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Goldie on 8 October (HL8508), of the £6 million funding “which has gone to 100 different Armed Forces charities across the country”,how much funding has been directly allocated to (1) charities, and (2) organisations, in Northern Ireland.

Baroness Goldie: The Government has been proactive in providing support to the charity sector in response to the COVID-19 pandemic across the United Kingdom. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Office for Veterans' Affairs (OVA) in the Cabinet Office have played a leading role in this effort by providing £6 million in funding for the Armed Forces community, through the COVID Impact Fund. Through this funding the MOD and OVA have distributed £112,372 to charities across Northern Ireland to support efforts in these challenging times. A further 39 grants, totalling nearly £3 million, were awarded to organisations who provide support across the whole of the United Kingdom including Northern Ireland.

Home Office

Frontier Workers: EU Nationals

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they estimate the frontier workers' permit scheme, as outlined intheCitizens’ Rights (Frontier Workers) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, will be open for applications.

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what strategythey intend to implement to ensure public awareness of the frontier workers' permit scheme prior to the Citizens’ Rights (Frontier Workers) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 coming into force.

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they plan to provide to ensure that existing organisations that provide advice on the EUSettlement Schemehave the resources and the capacity to deal with any increased workload caused by frontier workers seeking advice and assistance following the frontier workers' permit scheme coming into force.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government will open the frontier worker permit scheme to applications from 10 December. The scheme will ensure EEA and Swiss citizens who are frontier working (employed or self-employed in the UK but living elsewhere) at the end of the transition period on 31 December can continue to do so.The Government launched a national information?campaign?on?13 July to prepare the public and businesses for the end of the transition period. It provides information on the actions they need to take, including information on frontier workers’ rights. Further information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/frontier-workers-in-the-uk-rights-and-status.Where people need further information or support in applying under the frontier worker permit scheme, they will be able to contact the Home Office Settlement Resolution Centre, which is open seven days a week.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

UK Trade with EU: Personal Records

Baroness Kidron: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the monetary value of trade involving personal data between the UK and the EU.

Baroness Barran: It is difficult to estimate figures for trade values involving personal data specifically, and the closest proxy we have is for data-enabled trade. We estimate that the value of data-enabled services trade between the UK and the EU is £143.7 billion, £91.4 billion of which is exports, and £52.3 billion in imports. These values are derived from the Office of National Statistics 2019 trade figures.

Social Media: Disinformation

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any evidence from social media analytics that QAnon is gaining support in the UK; what discussions they have had with social media companies about removing content which promotes conspiracy theories which breaches community guidelines; and what action they are taking to combat such misinformation online.

Baroness Barran: The Government is focused on addressing disinformation or misinformation by any actor. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it continues to be vitally important that the public has accurate information about the virus, and DCMS is leading work across Government to tackle disinformation.That is why we stood up the Counter Disinformation Unit up on 5 March to bring together cross-Government monitoring and analysis capabilities. The Unit’s primary function is to provide a comprehensive picture of the extent, scope and impact of disinformation and misinformation regarding Covid-19 and to work with partners to ensure appropriate action is taken.Throughout the pandemic, we have been working closely with social media platforms to quickly identify and help them respond to potentially harmful content on their platforms, including removing harmful content in line with their terms and conditions, and promoting authoritative sources of information.